Courageous
by Man of Faith
Summary: With his life and those around him slowly falling apart, Tai realizes what he and others needed to do in order to take back control of their lives. It wasn't until a tragedy that struck that everyone finally open up their eyes. SONGFIC: Courageous by Casting Crown. Pairing: Sorato, Kenlei, Takari, Koumi, Joun, Davis/OC, Cody/Noriko, Tai/Catherine


AN: This is a story that was inspired from the movie Courageous. If you haven't seen it yet, I do recommend it.

* * *

**We were made to be courageous **

**We were made to lead the way**

**We could be the generation**

**That finally breaks the chains**

**We were made to be courageous**

**We were made to be courageous**

Tai was currently standing backstage with the rest of the digidestined men, all wearing solemn faces as they concentrate on what they were going to do once they get onstage. Although this whole thing was Tai's idea, each man backstage knew the great significance of today's message, none more than TK and Matt since they were affected greater than the rest of them, with the exception of Tai. As the agonizing wait came to an end, the men were relieved, yet nervous, as Sora came backstage and announced that the audience was ready for them.

**We were warriors on the front lines**

**Standing, unafraid**

**But now we're watchers on the sidelines**

**While our families slip away**

**Where are you, men of courage?**

**You were made for so much more**

**Let the pounding of our hearts cry**

**We will serve the Lord**

As Sora watched the men, most of them whom were like her brothers walked on stage, she couldn't have been more proud of them. Yet, she was saddened by the fact that they all had reached this point thanks to a very tragic event. These were men that had stood up against great evil time and time again to save not only the digital world, but the real world as well. Each one made their contributions, whether it was leaders like Tai and Davis, second in command like Matt and Ken, or all around support from Izzy, TK, Joe, and Cody, these eight men along with the other four women in their little group did all they could to make the world a better place for their children. Yet, they let the realities of the world take control and instead of being leaders for their families, the eight men became sideline watchers, until the very day when tragedy had struck.

**We were made to be courageous**

**And we're taking back the fight**

**We were made to be courageous**

**And it starts with us tonight**

**The only way we'll ever stand**

**Is on our knees with lifted hands**

**Make us courageous**

**Lord, make us courageous**

_The day was just like any other day for Tai and his family. He had woken up to find his wife Catherine had already gotten up and from the smell of it, was making breakfast. Before he could be fully awake, a blur of blonde hair had jumped onto his lap, giggling while yelling, "WAKE UP DADDY!" It was Tai's 8-year-old daughter, Sakura Kamiya, doing her duty as her daddy's own personal alarm clock, as his wife had dubbed her 2 years earlier. Tai grinned as he picked up his daughter and gently pinned her to the bed while tickling her, causing a massive amount of laughter and screaming for help as the little child was very ticklish. Tai would have continued this if Catherine hadn't come into their bedroom and scolded him for wasting time when he knew Sakura had to leave soon for a party and Tai was suppose to take her. Standing by the door with a smirk on his face was Tai's 12-year-old son, Takuya Kamiya. Tai saw his son and smiled at him and began to converse with him. _

"_Good morning Takuya."_

"_Morning dad," Takuya said with a hint of coldness in his voice. _

_Tai sighed, knowing that he didn't have the best of relationships with his son. Although he was able to be with his children more, it seemed as if Takuya still resented the fact that Tai wasn't around much during Takuya's first few years in life as Tai was busy trying to provide for his family. Even though his sister Kari, along with Catherine tried to get him to see the damage that he was doing, there wasn't much of a choice in Tai's mind. Now, the damage seemed irreversible. As Takuya walked away with his nagging mother behind him, Tai realized he should get Sakura ready for the party. _

_Later on as Tai picked up Sakura from the party, they had to stop by the town square to pick up some things Catherine needed to prepare dinner. As they got out of their car, Tai sensed some thing wasn't right in the air. The next second later, Tai heard gunshots as robbers were fleeing from a nearby bank with security on pursuit of them. Acting instinctively, Tai did his best to use his body as a shield to protect Sakura. As the commotion had died down and the robbers were caught, Tai gently let go of Sakura while trying to reassure the scared little girl that everything was fine. That was, until he saw blood was pooling on his t-shirt. He looked down to see Sakura coughing up blood as a stray bullet had found its way to Sakura's chest. Tai screamed for someone to call 911, but he later found out that it was too late. _

**This is our resolution**

**Our answer to the call**

**We will love our wives and children**

**We refuse to let them fall**

**We will reignite the passion**

**That we buried deep inside**

**May the watchers become warriors**

**Let the men of God arise**

As the men reached the podium in the crowded hall, 7 of them stood in a line while TK was the first one to go towards the podium and began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming. My name is Takeru Takaishi and it has been six months since the tragic death of my niece, Sakura Kamiya, and four months since my brother-in-law, Taichi Kamiya, came to the seven of us with a mission. He saw what the tragedy had done to not only his own family, but the rest of us as well. We have been through a lot together, especially with our adventures in the digital world. We were warriors then with our digimon, fighting to protect what was right, fighting for a better future for our families. Yet, everything we fought for was slowly going down the drain as we began to let the realities of this world consume us. Whether it was work, stress, broken relationships, or unsolved problems, Sakura's death shook all of us up to the point where these problems finally came to light. Instead of giving up, Tai approach us with a solution. The eight of us were to become warriors again, courageously answering the call once more. Only this time, we weren't saving the digital world or the real one, we were saving our marriages, our families, and our lives. Although there were some resistance here and there, our wives and eventually our children, supported us and helped made the transformative last four months possible."

**We were made to be courageous**

**And we're taking back the fight**

**We were made to be courageous**

**And it starts with us tonight**

**The only way we'll ever stand**

**Is on our knees with lifted hands**

**Make us courageous**

**Lord, make us courageous**

As each of the men went up to speak, all of them remember the day that Tai had called a meeting of the male digidestined, one that none of them will ever forget.

_As the eight men gathered around Tai's living room, they were all wondering what this meeting was about. Tai hadn't called a digidestined meeting in years, especially one in which it was the males only. Seven pair of eyes stared at their leader, waiting for him to say some thing. After what seemed like forever, Tai finally looked up from his chair and began his little speech. _

"_Thanks for coming guys. I know you are all wondering why our wives aren't here with us. The reason is because after Sakura's death, I've began to see and realize how broken we all are. I know there's no such thing as a perfect life, but I think it's time we all admit that as guys, we dropped the ball when it comes to doing our duties as men."_

"_What are you talking about Tai? I don't know about the rest of you, but I think things have been going great for me," Davis chimed in with the confidence that he always extruded. _

"_Really? Then would you care to explain why Kari's been coming home the past 2 months wanting to strangle as she calls Tomoo, the devil spawn of Motomiya?" TK asked while glaring at Davis. _

"_WATCH IT TJ! My son just has a lot of energy that's all!" Davis said in defense of his son, "At least I still have time to show my wife how much I love her, unlike you!"_

"_Wait a minute!" Izzy exclaim, preventing TK from killing Davis for his insinuation, "How in the digiworld would you know that? Mimi just mentioned it last night to me."_

"_I'm not surprised that you would know Izzy," Ken commented, "I mean you did marry the queen of gossip in our little group."_

"_I wouldn't be talking if I were you Ken," Matt interjected, "After all, Yolie is a Mimi clone. Also, I've been hearing that you aren't exactly the perfect husband around the house either."_

"_If we are going to talk about not being the perfect husband, then we should start with you Matt," Joe said, "From what I can understand, you haven't taken not being in the spotlight well. Sora has had to call me up one too many times to help you overcome hangovers and possible alcohol poisoning the past few weeks."_

"_HEY!" Matt exclaimed at Joe's comment, "What happened to Doctor-Patient confidentiality?" _

"_It goes out the window when the doctor feels those closest to the patient should know what the patient is hiding from them," Joe retorted. _

"_Wow Joe," Davis interjected, "My sister has really influenced you. I never thought you would have broken that kind of pact in the past."_

_Joe turned towards Davis with a glare, "Yeah well, you do not want me to even start talking about the things Jun has told me about you when you were younger."_

_As the 6 men continue to go at each other's throat and Tai trying to save what was left of the meeting, none of them notice Cody, standing there seething and ready to just explode. Unfortunately for the rest of them, Cody was about to blow like Mount Saint Helen. _

"_THAT'S IT! EVERYONE JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" Cody yelled, causing all bickering to cease as seven pair of eyes looked at the youngest among them with shock. The usually very reserved and mature male had just started to throw a tantrum, with them as the victims._

"_I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU GUYS! TAI JUST WENT THROUGH A TRUMATIC EXPERIENCE WITH THE DEATH OF HIS DAUGHTER AND INSTEAD OF JUST GREIVING, HE'S TRYING TO BE A LEADER AND SELFLESSLY TRYING TO HELP US OUT WITH THINGS THAT HE OBVIOUSLY SEES," Cody began his rant and then turned and glared at Davis. _

"_AND OF COURSE WHO WOULD START TO INTERJECT ABOUT HIS GREAT LIFE THAN YOU DAVIS! INSTEAD OF OPENING UP YOUR BIG MOUTH AND NOT THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO, MAYBE YOU SHOULD SHUT UP FOR ONCE AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOUR SUPERIOR IS TRYING TO DO! AS FOR THE REST OF YOU, INSTEAD OF HELPING TAI, ALL OF YOU JUST START TO ATTACK EACH OTHER AND THEIR FAMILIES, POINTING OUT THE EXACT FAULTS THAT TAI HIMSELF SEES. NO WONDER WE ARE ALL SUFFERING SLOWLY! IF NO ONE IS WILLING TO ADMIT THEIR OWN FAULTS OR THE SKELETONS IN THEIR CLOSETS, THEN I'LL GO FIRST!" _

_Cody shut his eyes, gathering the courage to speak of the one thing he has never told anyone, "I have a five year old daughter with Noriko." The shockwave of such an announcement shut up everyone in the room, as if Cody's rant wasn't enough. Of course, who would snap out of it first, but Davis. _

"_Wait a minute," Davis began, "You and Noriko have a what? But you aren't even together…" _

_Tai smacked Davis over the head at once, "DAVIS! At times like this, it makes me wonder why I made you leader of the younger digidestined in the first place."_

_TK looked at Cody with sympathy, "If I may ask, how did this happen? Why didn't you tell us? You know that no matter what, Kari and I would have been there for you."_

"_Same here," mumbled the rest of the men in the room. _

"_It happened right after college. The party that you guys threw for me that had all the digidestined around the area being invited. Noriko and I were just having a great time and then one thing leads to another and next thing I know, Noriko comes to me that she's pregnant. Of course I took responsibility for the baby and been doing my best to help raise her. Noriko understands that I'm still going through Law School, so she hasn't been demanding about helping to raise Michelle. I do what I can financially for them, but I haven't been in Michelle's life as I want to be."_

_Tai sighed as he realize that Cody was finished with his confession, "I admire what you've been doing Cody, but this is exactly what I've realized after Sakura's death. To the outside world, I was a pretty good father and husband, but just being pretty good wasn't enough for me anymore. All pretty good got me is the accidental death of one child and another child hating my guts because I wasn't there for him earlier in life. Instead of taking charge, I've been just sitting on the sidelines, slowly watching it all slip away. We need to take a stand, here and now, to be better fathers, better husbands, and better brothers to those we care about. Are we going to continue to be sideline watchers or actually take up the courage that is in all of us to be leaders once again? Which one of guys is with me? Who wants change in their lives? Are you guys fed up or what?" _

_One by one, the other men in the group began to show support, showing that they were ready. They were ready to shed off the past and begin a brighter future. _

_**Seek justice**_

_**Love mercy**_

_**Walk humbly with your God**_

_**In the war of the mind**_

_**I will make my stand**_

_**In the battle of the heart**_

_**And the battle of the hand**_

It was now Tai's turn as he was the last speaker. As he stood up at the podium, he looks at the audience and sees his family and friends sitting in the first two rows. Catherine and Takuya in the middle with Kari Takaishi and her own two boys. Flanking the two of them was Sora Ishida with her son and daughter on Catherine's side and Mimi Izumi and her son and daughter on Kari's side. In the second row sat Jun Kido and her son, along with Haruka Motomiya and her son as well. Next to them was Yolei Ichijoji, holding her baby boy while trying to keep her other son and daughter in line. Filling up the extended digidestined family was Noriko Hida along with Michelle. After confessing to his brothers, Cody gain support from the rest of the digidestined and he began to spend more time with Michelle, which lead to him becoming closer with Noriko. Four months later, an impromtu wedding was thrown and Cody became the newest and last of the married men in the group.

"I always thought my time as leader was done when I handed the position over to Davis years ago when the younger generation started their own adventure in the digital world. When the originals were needed still, I thought it was over with the defeat of Malomyotismon and then again with the second defeat of Dioboromon, but as these battles have taught me time and again; the mantle of leadership will forever stay with me. Instead of seeing what was happening in my own family and those closest to me, I let them all down and didn't set the example for them and my own children. I am forever in debt to my wife, Catherine, and the mothers in this room who have done their best to raise our children to the best of their abilities, but like everything else in life, there needs to be balance and equality. We as men cannot expect the women in our lives to do everything in raising our children. We also need to be there for guidance, for love, and to be another example for our children. I challenged my brothers up here four months ago to take back control of their families, to become leaders again and to solve the problems that have been going on in their lives. Little by little, with the support of one another and that of our families, we have become better fathers, better husbands, and better examples of the type of men that God has asked us to be."

As Tai paused to look at the audience to make sure he still had their attention, he began to get to the climax of his speech, "Now I look out to the audience and ask all the fathers out there, who will now stand up and take control of their lives again? Who will say that they are leaving the sidelines and play once again on the field that we call life? Who will say that they will become the leaders of their families again? Who will rise up and say, 'I will!' Now is the time, you men of courage, you fathers of God's most precious gift, take a stand for your families and your place in this world."

As Tai finished his speech, the fathers in the audience all began to stand, some with proud faces, others broken. All of them though showed that they were willing to be the fathers that Tai had challenge them to be. They were men of faith, men of courage.

**We were made to be courageous**

**And we're taking back the fight**

**We were made to be courageous**

**And it starts with us tonight**

**The only way we'll ever stand**

**Is on our knees with lifted hands**

**Make us courageous**

**Lord, make us courageous**

**We were made to be courageous**

**Lord, make us courageous**

Courageous - Casting Crown


End file.
